Fire extinguisher and alarm



L t e e h S H e e h S 2 L L E U B B C (No Mod ($1.)

FIRE EXTINGUISHEB. AND ALARM.

.- .No. 275,752. Patented Apr.10, 1 883.

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES N. PETERS. mm-Lflhu mr. Washingkm. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

V G.E.BUELL. A

FIRE EXTINGUISHBB. AND ALARM.

No. 275,752. Patented Apr. 10; 1883.

WITNESSES INVENTOR.

PETERS, Phalo-ulhugrapher, nnnnnn nnnnnn c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHAaLEs E. BUELL, on NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND ALARM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 275,752, dated April 10,1883,

' Application filed February 17 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. BUELL, of the city and county of NewHaven, State of Connecticut, have invented Improvements in FireExtinguishers and Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

Experience has demonstrated that the extinguishing systems in which thewater is normally turned on are liable to become inoperative by reasonof the water freezing in the pipes, and in such systems there is dangerof water-damage by the accidental opening of the sprinklers.

One ofthe objects of my invention is to organize a fire-extinguishingsystem from which the water is normally excluded, in which the mechanismfor controlling the valves which exclude the water from the system issimple in construction, certain in oporation, and not liable to becomeinoperative by long disuse.

Experience has also demonstrated that sprinklers whose outlets arecontrolled by a fusible joint so located that the water in the pipeschills the same, or when it begins to flow comes immediately in contactwith said fusible connection, are very unreliable, because the fusing ofthe solder is sensibly affected by the water and the fusing consequentlyretarded, resulting in a failure to entirely open thesprinkling-apertures, and thus materially di minishing the flow ofwater.

It is hence another object of my. invention to so locate the fusiblematerial with respect to the dischargeopening that the water in thepipes will neither chill and delay the process of fusing nor bepermitted to be discharged upon the'fusible joint during the process offusing. The rose-head having a cap over its perforations, secured byfusible solder, is of the class of distributors which I design toimprove. i

It has been also shown by experience that a distributor having anobstructed outletsuch as the rose-head sprinkleris liable to becomeclogged and stopped up by the settling of lint and dust from without andfrom rust and sediment from within.

It is therefore another object of my invention to provide a fluidextinguishing nozzle, distributor, or device with an unobstructeddischarge -opening, so that when the devices which hold said openingclosed are released by the fusing of the soldered joint or fasteningwhereby it is retained in position the water will have a free unimpededoutlet, thereby insuring the discharge of the maximum quantity ofextinguishing-fluid.

By the term unobstructed discharge-opening I mean a distributerordevicethat wholly opens when released, in contradistinction to a rose-head orperforated sprinkler that may be opened or uncapped.

' Myinventionaccordinglyconsists, primarily, in the combination, with aclosed and a normally-open electric circuit, and the pipes of a.fire-extinguishing system, of devices for controlling the supply ofwater to said pipes, which devices are made operative by heat developedor controlled by the electric current, and an alarm located in thenormally-open circuit.

My invention also consists in a distributor or fire-extinguishing devicehaving an open or unobstructed outlet which is held closed by devicesadapted to be released by the action of heat upon an easily-fusiblealloy.

My invention also consists in certain combinations andsub-combinations,as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a system of fire-alarmand fire-extin- 8o guishers arranged in accordance with my invention.Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent in detail parts of apparatus forcarrying out my invention.

Referring to. Fig. 1, P is a main water-supply pipe, having avalve,V,which is normally open.

V V are valvular devices for controlling the supply of water to thepipes P P, respectively, said'pipes being arranged to conduct waterthrough a building, and provided with branches and sprinklers K K, or ofother preferred forms. The valvular devices V V consist of a metal shellwith pipe-connections for connecting the same between the main anddistributin g pipes. This shell-like part is covered 5 preferably by aflexible sealed cover, d, and is provided with a'valve-seat for thevalve (2. The valve (1 is held to its seat by the lever l and rod l",which in turn are held to close said valve against the water-pressure bya retain- 1C0 ing cord or wire, 0, the retaining-wire being secured tothe floor or other firm unyielding structure, and may be provided withmeansas a nut and screw-for adjusting its tension. Eduction-valves e care provided for the purpose of drawing the water out of the pipes P Pand apparatus when desirable. The retaining-cord C may be a combustiblecord, and be cut or burned 011' when desired to let on the water to adistributing-pipe.

A charged and divided main circuit extends from the battery Y along theline of pipes P P and is adapted to be ruptured by the melting ofjointsj j or either of them, by a. heat thatwill open the sprinklers KK.

An electro-magnet, E M, is included in the two circuits, and is aditlerentially-wound electro-magnet. The divided circuit being adjustedby the resistance It R the circuits can be made equal, and the armaturea of electroinagnet E M will be retracted by the weight Z, or a springagainst its back insulated contactstop, and the local circuit of thebattery X (shown in dotted lines) will be normally open.

The galvanometers l\" and N are included in the charged circuitsdescribed, and are provided with contact-stops m m, and with connectionsto their needles, so that a movement of the needle of either intocontact with their respective stops on or m will close the open localcircuit.

In the local circuit I place a gong, G, for sounding an alarm, a switch,S, for opening the circuit when desired, and at p, I place a very fineplatinum wire, so pressed into contact with the combustible cord G thatwhen the local circuit is closed the current from battery X will heatthe wire 1) to white heat and instantly burn off the cord 0, releasingthe valve (1, which, being released, is forced open by the pressure ofthe water in the main P, and the water he let into the requireddistributingpipe. The battery X should be a battery of large surface andsuitable electro-motive power.

The operation of the system is as follows: The water being excluded fromthe pipes I P by the pressure of their valves (1 to their seats by thetightening ofcord 0, when a lire occurs, the heat opens a valve orsprinkler, K, and a joiut,j The opening of either of the divider maincircuits by the melting of ajoint closes the local circuitof battery Xby the action of the unbroken circuit upon the electro-magnet E M andits armature a. Theattraction ofthe said armature, followed by theclosing of the local circuit, heats the platinum wire 1) and burns offthe cord 0, as previously mentioned, and the water is let on to thedistributingpipe along the line of the broken circuit, and an alarm issounded at the same time on the gong G.

The gong Gr can be in another sub-circuit or local circuit and avoid theadding of its resistance to the heating-circuit, and any preferred formof electro-magnet and connections can be used in place of theelectro-magnet E M shown; but the employment of the electroma-gnetE Mand galvanometers N N possesses the advantage of safety against theelectrical system being out of order by neglect or accident, or bymalicious interference without the fact being known, as any decrease orincrease or change of direction of the force charging the circuits, oreither of them, or the rupture of either, would be visible upon thegalvanometers and sounded by the gong G, so that the system will beknown to be in order if an alarm has not been sounded.

As it might require a large cord to retain avalve required for a largesupply of water, I have shown in Fig. 2 the valve-lever Z, held by awire or wire cord passing over a stationary pulley-wheel, n, and securedto a beam with a poised weighted blade, H, retained by a cord, 0,adapted to be burned off by the heating of wire p, allowing the edge I)of the weighted blade H to fall upon the wire 0, cutting it, and thusreleasing the valve (1, the wire 1) being heated by battery X, as shownin Fig. l and described.

Fig. 3 shows another modification for controlling a supply of water to adistributingpipe by an electric circuit through the inter mediate actionof heat. The lever l is shown as held depressed by a wire jointed with afusiblejoint,j, and a gas-jet in such relation to the said joint as tomelt it when a flame of gas is burning. The form of gas-burner is usedin which the gas is constantly burning in a small side jet, or anyautomatic gas-lighting devices may be used. The gas is normally turnedoil, except the side jet mentioned, and is held turned off by a leverthat is attracted by an electro-magnet, and is adapted to fully turn onand light the gas when the electro-magnet ceases to attract the lever.Such a device can be controlled by a charged circuit.

Fig. 4. shows an electromagnet and apparatus that may be employed inplace of the form shown in Fig. l with like safety, and adaptedparticularly for use where a single circuit is to be used through abuilding. The electro magnet E M is of ordinary construction, thearmature a. being held out of contact with the local-circuitcontact-stops by the spring S, insucha manneras to close the localcircuit by a rise or fall of the tension of the current in the helicesof the electromagnet. The galvanometer N has been previously described.A polarized armature may be employed to accomplish the closing of thecircuit in place of said galvanometer.

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of a sprinkler K, consisting of a nozzle,5, held closed by a plate, 3, pressed against the opening of said nozzleby a screw, 1, which runs in a nut, 2. A metal spring-strap, 6, isplaced over the nut 2 and soldered under the pipe at 7, thus holding thenut and screw in pressing the valve 3 to cover the opening in thenozzle. When the solder at 7 is fused, the strap of metal springs apart,as shown in Fig. 6, and the valve-plate 3,11% 2, and screw 1, togetherwith the strap 6,"'are forced away by the pressure of water.

- This form of sprinkler has the solder removed from the water, isadapted to be made sensitive, and is fully released or unsoldered beforewater can escape to chill the process of fusing and when the valve-plate3 is off of the opening the nozzle is wholly open. A spreader, 4, may beused to spread the water delivered by the nozzle 5, if desired.

Fig. 7 shows a valve-plate 3 held to close an opening in awater-'pipe-without the employment of the nozzle 5by the devices shownin Figs. 5 and 6, and described.

I reserve the right to claim in another application any improvementsdescribed and shown in this application and not now claimed.

What I claim is- 1. The combination,'with pipes arranged to conductwater through a building, and valve mechanism whereby the water-supplyto said pipes is controlled, of an electric circuit and devices adaptedto make operative said valve mechanism by heat developed or controlledby said electric circuit, and an alarm apparatus in a sub-circuit whichis made operative by the first-named circuit, the whole arranged andoperating substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with pipes arranged to conduct water through abuilding, and valve mechanism whereby the water-supply is controlled, ofa normally -closed electric circuit which is adapted to become rupturedby heat,

a normally-open circuit containing an alarm apparatus, devices adaptedtoclose said lastnamed circuit when the normally-closed circuitisruptured, and devices adapted to make operative said valve mechanism byheat developed or controlled by the normally-open circuit, the wholearranged and operating substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the valve mechanism of a fire-extinguishingsystem which is held closed by devices adapted to be ruptured by heat,of a normally closed electric circuit adapted to be opened by heat, anormallyopen electric circuit, and devices in the firstnamed circuitwhich, when said circuit is ruptured, make operative the normally opencircuit which develops or controls heat that releases said valvemechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A fire-extinguishing nozzle or'device having an open or unobstructedoutlet held closed by fusible devices adapted to be wholly released bythe action of heat, substantially as described.

5. Afire-extinguishing nozzle or device having an open or unobstructedoutlet which is held closed by fusible devices adapted to be released bythe action of heat, the said fusible devices being in such relation tothe nozzle or pipe as not to be chilled by the water therein,substantially as set forth.

6. A fire-extin guishin g nozzle or device having an open orunobstructed outlet which is held closed by fusible devices adapted tobe released by the action of heat before .any water can escape to defeatthe process of fusing, substantially as described.

7. A fire-extinguishing nozzle or device having an open or unobstructedoutlet which is held closed by fusible devices that are in such relationto the nozzle or pipe as not to be chilled by water therein, and adaptedto be wholly released by the action of heat before any water can escapeto defeat the process of fusing, or in any way interfere with the properopening or operation of said device, substantially as described.

8. A fire-extin guishin g nozzle or device having an open orunobstructed outlet which is held closed by fusible devices adapted tobecome wholly released by the action of heat and the pressure in thepipe before any water can escape, substantially as described.

9. A fire-extinguishing nozzle or device having an open orunobstructedoutlet which is held closed by adjustable devices that are se-- curedthereto by fusible material, the said devices adapted to become releasedby the action ofheat and the pressure in the pipes before any water canescape to defeat and delay the proper openingof the device, and thefusible material being so located with relation to the nozzle or pipe asnot to be chilled by water therein, substantially as described.

TO. A fire-extinguishing nozzle or device having an open or unobstructedoutlet which is closed by a plate secured thereto by a clamp that isfusible at a point opposite said opening, substantially as described.

11. A fire-extinguishing nozzle or device having an open or unobstructedoutlet which is held closed by a valve or plate secured theretobydevices that are adjustable, and that are adapted to be released by theaction of heat upon fusible material located at a point opposite saidoutlet, and a spreader so arranged with relation to said outletas tospread and deflect the water delivered therefrom, substantially asdescribed and shown.

CHARLES E. BUELL.

Witnesses:

A. O. BUELL, J. W. BUELL.

IIO

